Well thank you, I appreciate the thought.

That's fair enough... besides, sometimes it is good to step back so that you're better able to focus on things of importance/etc to you.  Irrespective of whatever else has been said here however, whether or not we pursue different hobbies, yours is as valid as mine and I've enjoyed conversing with you. 

Furthermore, we held an intelligent discussion where neither of us bored the other with the intricate details, whys or wherefores of our particular interests (one of the reasons given against cross-posting).  Rather, we spoke purely on a human interest level and, despite whatever difference we each may have, we were still able to find agreeable common ground and show one another respect. 

Hopefully, this is an example others of the wider community can/will follow... that mutual respect for one another's differences cost nothing and make for a happier environment for all.

No doubt that we'll meet again, Mumbles, so until next time...

I am certainly on record as preferring less cross posting rather than more or at least of having a more obvious line of demarcation between what is cross-posted versus what is limited to a single site.

However one thing to point out is the GalCiv1 site. The GalCiv1 site is currently the only site that I've found that is totally independent (other than neowin which is another special case). However being independent is another way of saying isolated and while more isolation is actually something that I desire, there is a downside to it.

The downside of being isolated is that the site essentially has been left to wither and die. I'm not making a judgement here, merely an observation, and for all I know there are plans to revamp the GalCiv1 site and incorporate it into Stardock's "family" of forums. However failing that the GalCiv1 site seems to me to be a relic of the 1980's where you don't have to go very far down the "recent" post list to find posts over a year old. The surprising thing is that there is any traffic there at all.

While I would certainly prefer to see more organization and control in how (and which) forums are shared, I feel confident that as long as the GalCiv2 site is "part of the family" that at least it will not have the same fate as GalCiv1. For me this is a mitigating factor that certainly needs to be considered.

Neowin is not really a stardock site. We just host it and (IIRC) own a part-share.

Looking at the full recent posts list, taking the first two pages into account (latest 100 threads) it's currently holding steady at about a 50/50 mix of GC2 and not-GC2. Not quite entirely overwhelmed, but yeah, it's pretty thoroughly mixed. I don't think that causes the GC2 topics to be ignored by those who might be interested in them, though. You'd be surprised how many people do use the direct category pages rather than the recent posts list.

Most of the non-GC2 stuff is from Impulse, which can be relevant to GC2 users who may have issues in need of support in that category. It also sees some non-issue threads discussing games and DRM in general, which are of interest to a fair number of users, even if they're unrelated to GC2 directly (I understand that may not be the case for you guys, but most are not GC2-exclusive gamers). Same goes for the PC categories. The only one that I'd really argue is *completey* irrelevant to GC2 would be the OTF, but there's got to be somewhere for that stuff to go, and at present there's only one OTF thread in the last 100 anyway.

More to the point, I don't think the sharing itself is so much an issue (or at least, as has been said, it's Brad's choice and it won't be changing), so much as the attitudes of the posters. As Starkers said, even if the extra threads (on either side) aren't something of direct interest to any given person, they can serve to expand one's horizons. And if they're not your cup of tea altogether, is it too much to ask to leave them in peace? Yes, this is the internet, but if you're in a public space and some people nearby were discussing something of disinterest to you, or even something you actively dislike, would you jump in and berate them, or just tune them out?

Those reading from the GC2 side may not be aware of it, but yeah, WC has had issues in the past with the community being "unfriendly" at times, to put it simply. Zoomba and ID have both posted on that subject before over there. As the WC forums are much more wide-ranging, things are not moderated the same way as here at GC2, where we actively try to keep things friendly. Maybe that has contributed to letting it get that way; I don't spend much time over there though, so it's not really my place to make that judgement.

At the end of the day though, a bit more respect all around is definitely in order. If people can learn to not jump to assume the worst about someone else's comments (or to just let it slide or alert a moderator if there is no positive interpretation possible), and stop sending things into a downward spiral as often as not, we'll be well on our way to making the whole network a better, more friendly community which everyone will benefit from.

Score one for my thick-headedness. Both, I guess.

Actually I'm quite proud of the "look and feel" of my windows setup. I can't stand cartoonish stuff and I've basically configured XP to look the same as Win 95. Also the "My" stuff really annoys me and it did take Windows quite some convincing that "My Documents", etc should simply be Documents.

Anyway there's really not much to see but here's a couple of screenshots for any that are interested.

And here's one of my second monitor. Nice and clean just the way I like it.

However certainly if I'm at a resturant and a couple at the next table are talking at a reasonable level then I have no issue.

It's a matter of degree as in all things. It's not a black and white issue. It depends on your subjective opinion.

I'm glad you see it that way.  So long as you are happy with how your desktop looks, that's all that really matters.  I mean, it wouldn't be for me, just as how I set up my desktop isn't for you, but then it would be a pretty boring old world if we all thought and did the same things.

The point of my previous comment, however, was directed more towards forum users in general refraining from saying things which may upset others.  In doing so, I believe we would all benifit because the forums are then happier, more respectful places to be.  Hopefully that is not too much to ask and the different factions of Stardockia can co-exist peacefully.

Well I am also glad that you saw my post before having a brain explosion... we are all better off for its prevention, yourself included.  A brain snap may have resulted in a stern dressing down from the moderators or worse, given the current climate and 3 of them already issuing recent warnings, etc. I'm sure the cross threading issue will work itself out over time, but in the meantime we need to show some patience and take the good with the (in our humble opinions)'not so good'

OK, maybe I've not had to scroll that much to find a thread of interest, but WC has had its fair share of inconveniences of late as well (I am repeatedly double posted when commenting on skins), but no, I have not complained... well not seriously. I did put up a tongue in cheek thread about it for fun when things were a bit quiet, but it's not that big of a deal and I can wait 'til it gets fixed.

Besides, what's so urgent that a few seconds of scrolling is gonna hurt... like it's not worth busting a valve over. 

Simply a result of the shared categories--you likely only see Zubaz, ID, and Jafo in the Impulse and PC categories, as these also appear on the sites they're responsible for. GC2 itself is still just me and the devs.

Thanks starkers.

We mods try to stay out of the way as much as we think is responsible.  We try to help folks that have difficulties more than we "shut down toublemakers".  If we can nudge in a forum post or a PM we try  to.  Post are rarely if ever locked or edited.

With the introduction of Impulse there seems to be more bleeding over from site to site but that's a good thing even if it takes some adjustment from us all.

No one here wants to limit anyones speech or opinion or what-have-you.  We do, however, want to make everyone's visit to the stardock family of sites plaeasant.  You, the communities, help is always needed and appreciated and welcomed.

We really are a better palce with all of us involved.